Classification: Formosa Bai Hao “Oriental Beauty” – Wulong tea
Cultivar: Qing Xin Da Fang
Origin: Taiwan, Hsinchu County, Beipu town - altitude 500m
Grade: Grand Cru, Elite, Unique
Dry leaf: Golden, coppery, silver, green and brownish curly leaves, beautifully dried on touch, releasing aroma of sweet caramel, dried apricots and exotic wood.
Infused leaf: Wild and big unfolded coppery brown leaves. Hints of wet forest and spicy exotic wood.
Liquor: Bright, clear golden cup with mesmerising floral aroma of lilies, hints of honey, apricots, pineapple and cinnamon. Liquor smooth and velvety with wild floral, fruity, woody and spicy taste (cinnamon & saffron). After-taste incredibly sweet and roundy with muscatel aroma and no astringency at all. Suitable for many brews.
About: Oriental Beauty is one of Taiwan's tea treasures. Each summer, the tea farmers of Hsinchu county had their tea crops eaten by swarms of small criquets. One farmer harvested these bitten leaves nonetheless and sold them for high price to John Dodd. Legend has it that this tea was so good it made its way to the queen Elizabeth II. who named it “Oriental Beauty”. Bai Hao is highly oxidised wulong (60 - 70%), harvested from young leaves, just after they have been bitten by the tea jassid. The bite starts the oxidation of the leaves and add a sweet muscatel to the characteristic. Production has to be totally free of pesticides to attract the small crickets.
